This disclosure relates to providing metadata to a media device.
Historically, video content for television was free broadcast video content. The revenue model for content providers was to sell advertising during the free broadcast content. The advent of cable television systems has significantly changed the business mode for content providers in many instances. For example, content providers such as Home Box Office (HBO), available from Home Box Office, Inc. of New York, N.Y., provide broadcast content by subscription service and reduce (or altogether eliminate) advertising. Thus, the primary source of revenue for such providers are subscription services. Such subscription content can be broadcast to numerous set-top boxes, and the set-top box can be provided keys for decrypting the subscription broadcast signal.
Further, with the implementation of digital technology in most cable and satellite systems, the broadcast content is supplemented by metadata content. The metadata content can be provided by a metadata content provider on a sideband signal to the digital video content signal, or by another alternative mechanism. The metadata content can enable electronic program guides, which can provide media system 100 users with programming schedules and detailed program information, such as, for example, actors, directors, ratings, reviews, etc. In conventional systems, such metadata content is limited.